Operant conditioning

Operant conditioning is a learning process through which voluntary responses are strengthened or weakened as a result of their consequences, leading to behavior modification. B.F. Skinner came up with operant conditioning through his experiment with rats: the rats would learn to pull the lever during a green light to get food (positive reinforcement; encouraging behavior), and would learn not to pull the lever during a red light, as they would be zapped (negative reinforcement; discouraging behavior). While classical conditioning is similar, classical conditioning is creating involuntary behavior, while operant conditioning is reinforcing voluntary behavior.